1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to the art of refrigerators and, more particularly, to a shelving assembly including a universal frame adapted to support any one of a plurality of different shelving units.
2. Discussion of the Art
Refrigerator manufacturers make available various refrigerator models which can range from basic models to high-end models. The different models can vary in numerous respects, including size, components utilized, features and, accordingly, price. In order to reduce manufacturing costs in the art of refrigerators, it is often desirable to produce some parts which are common to all or at least a few of the refrigerator models and then to accessorize these parts with varying components to distinguish the various models. For example, it is known in the art to utilize a similarly constructed refrigerator cabinet liner in various models but to attach different types of shelves and bins therein to distinguish the various models from one another. Therefore, some basic structure will be common to various models, but the overall features can differ substantially.
Increasing the number of common components can result in substantial cost savings when realized over various product lines. However, attempting to design certain components to be universal can also require major changes to the accessories used in combination therewith such that no actual cost savings are realized. In addition, designing universal components can raise engineering problems, particularly when those components have varying forces exerted thereon during use and those forces are distributed in different ways when each of the universal components is used in combination with different accessories.